YouTube weenies vs .357 Magnum...

[scsov509]

I've got a .357 SP101 I purchased for the express purpose of shooting 38+p loads because a steady diet of +p's through my J-Frame 38 isn't the best for the gun. I guess that just makes me a weenie though being that I don't want to abuse my guns?

[DPris]

I think some are missing the point, and I gotta say I agree with it, on the whole.

The point is why buy a magnum just to carry .38s in it?
I buy a magnum to carry magnums.
If I want to carry .38s, I'll carry a .38.

As far as a snub .357 goes, even with the shorter barrel you're getting more performance downrange than you are with .38+P in a 4-inch barrel, as a rule.

And if you decide there's no advantage to magnum loads because the short barrel degrades velocities too much, that same barrel will also be degrading .38 velocities if you drop down to those in the same gun for carry.

Emphasize FOR CARRY.
Not for casual range plinking.

Obviously does not apply for those who, for whatever reason, can't control full magnum loads.

Just reverting back to the idea of buying a magnum to carry magnum loads & buying a .38 if you only intend to CARRY .38 loads.

But then I'm also the guy who sees no practical point to developing rabbit plinking loads in a .30-06, or dropping them down to .30-30 levels.
I buy my .30-06s to shoot full-bore .30-06 ammunition, and if I want to chase rabbits or deer I use a .22 or a .30-30 to begin with.
Denis

[223 shooter]

Guess I'm gonna have to have a talk with my 2.5" M66 and 686.
You Two are not worth shooting!

Me too! Although I no longer have my 2.5" 66. I was out shooting my 686 2.5" just last weekend. The 686 and 66 have always been my favorite snubs.

[JERRYS.]

#20
In The Ten Ring
Senior Member


Join Date: January 26, 2018
Posts: 368 Detective Harry Callahan carried .44 Specials in his Model 29 because "it gave him better control."

That's good enough for me!

no, he did not.

"Callahan states the use of a "Light Special",..... In the audio commentary on Magnum Force DVD (Warner Bros. Entertainment, 2001), John Milius (who wrote the story and co-wrote the screenplay), said that this was misinterpreted during filming, that "it's really not supposed to be a light Special, it's just supposed to be a little lighter .44 Magnum load." implying he uses a specially prepared Magnum round firing a slightly less heavy bullet....This is consistent with his statement in The Enforcer that he favors the gun largely for penetration".

[moosemike]

I like to shoot .357 magnums out of snubbies. That's what I call a good time. No .38 +P needed here.

[Cheapshooter]

I think some are missing the point, and I gotta say I agree with it, on the whole.

The point is why buy a magnum just to carry .38s in it?

No, you missed the point that they buy the magnum gun because in many cases it is heavier than the same gun in 38 Spcl. Particularly noting the Ruger LCR. They do it because they feel even the moderate recoil of +P ammo is more than they can handle in the 38 revolver. So they think the extra couple ounces will help. Where personally to me I have never seen an issue with recoil, and bought the 38 Spcl. +P LCR because of the lighter weight, and the belief that a good +P round is "enough" for any situation I may encounter.
I still want to get a light 357 snubbie just 'cause I think it would be fun. But then again I also shoot a 10" barreled 45-70 Contender pistol.

[UncleEd]

I earlier stated that I'm a devotee of the Smith
& Wesson Model 15 which has always been a
.38 Special.

But in the modern market for Smiths and Rugers,
not as many desirable models are offered in .38
Special, only .357, so many buyers get the .357
and just shoot .38s.

When or if I was in the market for a "pocket"
revolver, Smith or Ruger, I'd lean toward the
.38 Specials only. But if I came on a really
nice, used of course, .357 I'd scoop it up.

Colt caught criticism when it re-introduced
a version of the Colt Cobra but in steel because
it was only .38 Special. I thought that .38 was
fine and dandy but when Kimber introduced its
K6 (Colt Detective Special size) it was in
.357 which was probably a good marketing ploy.

[HighValleyRanch]

I get IRKED when people are claiming they are shooting a real gun when they are shooting a Rossi (Smith wanta-be)!Ha Ha!

I have a youtube video showing me shooting Buffalobore out of my LCR, so I'm not in your "weenie" category!... but I still carry +p .38's in it most of the time unless I'm walking in the woods.

[DPris]

Cheap, read the following:

Denis

[DaleA]

I have a youtube video showing me shooting Buffalobore out of my LCR

Yikes! I exceeded my recoil limit just shooting the regular range ammo in an LCR. IIRC it was Magtech 158 grain .357 magnum ammunition.

Some 125 grain .357 magnum was okay but I doubt I'd go thru more than half a box during one range session.

IMhO it's no fun if it hurts.

[Don Fischer]

Originally Posted by DPris

I think some are missing the point, and I gotta say I agree with it, on the whole.

The point is why buy a magnum just to carry .38s in it?
I buy a magnum to carry magnums.
If I want to carry .38s, I'll carry a .38.

As far as a snub .357 goes, even with the shorter barrel you're getting more performance downrange than you are with .38+P in a 4-inch barrel, as a rule.

And if you decide there's no advantage to magnum loads because the short barrel degrades velocities too much, that same barrel will also be degrading .38 velocities if you drop down to those in the same gun for carry.

Emphasize FOR CARRY.
Not for casual range plinking.

Obviously does not apply for those who, for whatever reason, can't control full magnum loads.

Just reverting back to the idea of buying a magnum to carry magnum loads & buying a .38 if you only intend to CARRY .38 loads.

But then I'm also the guy who sees no practical point to developing rabbit plinking loads in a .30-06, or dropping them down to .30-30 levels.
I buy my .30-06s to shoot full-bore .30-06 ammunition, and if I want to chase rabbits or deer I use a .22 or a .30-30 to begin with.
Denis

I do not buy magnum rifle cartridge's and load them down to handle recoil. I simply buy a smaller cartridge. My 38 is a 38-44 Outdoorsman. Nice and heavy and a 6" barrel. I've tried 357's in the past, sorry but for me they kill on both ends. never have another 357 to shoot 357's out of. Tried a 38 spec with 2" barrel, I think it was a detective special. Never gonna shoot on of them again ither, stung my hand pretty well with factory ammo. I would not buy a revolver for self defense anyway and DA revolver's are my choice for about every thing. They only hold 6 rds at best and my Shield holds 8!

If I was going to buy another 38 I would only look at 357's handguns with 6" barrels. And in that I'd shoot 38's with cast bullet's. Now if I were in a pinch and was attacked and only had that 357 with 38's in it, 148gr wadcutter's will turn things around or not even a 500 Smith will help you. I have to shoot a gun I'm comfortable with! 38's in a 357 suit me fine. Your opinion may vary!

[briandg]

Is it possible, maybe, that the person who bought a .357 magnum snub had never encountered one before?

Is it possible that those who say "wow, that kinda smarted, maybe all of you should just used .38 +p" are just saying so because they expect everyone who is watching the video to be recoil sensitive?

Maybe the guy believes that the .38+p is just in general a better choice than a .357 round for the average guy, and that buying a .357 instead of a .38+P rated gun is simply a rational decision to leave options available?

Maybe some of those guys had really smart, legitimate reasons for making the choices, and suggesting that others not make the same choice is just exercising common sense, since there are so many people out there who don't believe in using common sense?

I don't watch videos in general, so I've never seen ones that you are talking about. I've watched too many videos on every possible subject, and honestly, I have no idea why anyone bothers to watch some of that nonsense.

[moosemike]

I've tried 357's in the past, sorry but for me they kill on both ends. never have another 357 to shoot 357's out of. Tried a 38 spec with 2" barrel, I think it was a detective special. Never gonna shoot on of them again ither, stung my hand pretty well with factory ammo.

Sweet mercy.

[DPris]

Yeah......
Got 3, carried one off-duty for several years.
Loaded with +P.
Denis

[briandg]

As an aside, I keep my colt trooper in the guest room, it's the full sized .357 revolver. I keep it loaded with .38 +p. I really don't think that God intends for me to die because I shot a bad guy with the wrong ammunition. I'm sure that something far stranger is in my future.

[DPris]

God'll get you for that.
Denis

[TruthTellers]

I also keep my full size (3 inch or longer barrel) .357's in the house loaded with .38+P. There's no sense having that amount of power when you're likely shooting at point blank range and losing your hearing.

God wants you to keep your hearing so he can scorn you about that one time you accidentally walked into the bathroom and saw your cousin when she was naked.

Not saying that .357 doesn't have its place for self defense, but in the home... I really just do not like it for that use.

BTW Denis, I agree with you on downloading .30-06 to chase rabbits and deer. It's dumb and you know what works better? The Henry Big Boy in .327 Magnum.

[DPris]

I had a Marlin in the older .32 Mag, nice little gun & caliber.
Let it go, I just never got around to doing anything with it.

It's a .22 for me on rabbits.
Denis

[WheelGunMan]

I think some are missing the point, and I gotta say I agree with it, on the whole.

The point is why buy a magnum just to carry .38s in it?
I buy a magnum to carry magnums.
If I want to carry .38s, I'll carry a .38.

I buy the .357 primarily because it is built heavier and can take more punishment. Even if I only intend on carrying .38's for practice and or defensive purposes...but because it's the .357 I always have the option to shoot .357 should I so desire.

Why not buy a .357? It allows you to shoot both.

[Bob Wright]

At the time I bought my Model 19 S&W and my Model 586s, there were no .38 Special versions of those two models.

A claw hammer is good for driving nails. A sledge hammer is good for driving railroad spikes. But a claw hammer is not too good for driving spikes, nor is a sledge hammer good for driving nails. If .38 Special cartridges will do the job, then why not use them, no matter the revolver used?

A .357 Magnum cartridge will not kill any deader than a .38 Special.

Bob Wright

[DPris]

You're mildly delusional there, Bob.
Denis

[Double Naught Spy]

Ok.. I dont know HOW many little vids I've watched of guys shooting a .357 snub...and then tell everyone to use .38+p's in it... Well, duh, why not just have bought a cheaper .38 rated for +p ammo...

Seems like you got irked... I wasnt talking about range shooting but carrying... Why carry a .357 with .38's in it... Ive carried several 357's over the tears and this doesnt make sense unless someone just wants a dual caliber gun...not trying to flame anyone, just curious...

Why do you even care? It is perfectly fine to shoot .38 spl or .38 spl +P out of a .357 mag revolver, or shoot .357 mag. It is their gun, not yours. If they want to shoot lighter loads, more power to them. If when they are ready, they can transition to .357 mag. Buying the .357 mag revolver is more versatile and cheaper than buying a .38 spl +P revolver and then having to then buy a .357 mag revolver.

You worry about running your own guns and let other people worry about running their own guns and how they spend their own money. No reason to call them names for not shooting how YOU think they should be shooting when what they are doing is perfectly fine.

[jersurf101]

After killing a cotton mouth with a .357 magnum and nearly deafening myself with no ear protection I greatly understand carrying .38s over .357 mags. As long as what someone is doing is safe, responsible and works for them What business is it of mine to be irked?

[DPris]

I'm not irked, just bemused over the number of people who buy .357s to carry .38s in.
Always puzzled me why they didn't just buy a .38 to begin with.
Denis

[scsov509]

I'm not irked, just bemused over the number of people who buy .357s to carry .38s in.
Always puzzled me why they didn't just buy a .38 to begin with.

Because why give yourself options, right? I mean when I bought my SP101 it was the same price for a 38+P or 357 mag model, so who in their right mind would purchase something that gives them the choice vs purchasing a model limited to a single caliber? You're right, that makes no sense at all.